NOVEMBER 13, 2003

The Formula 3 clans gather in Macau

The 50th running of the Macau Grand Prix this weekend will be a fiercely contested race with all the young guns from Formula 3 wanting to make an impression in the most important Formula 3 event of the year. A win at Macau attracts the attention of the Formula 1 team bosses and this year threatens to be a fight for victory between two Australians: who have each dominated their respective F3 championships this year: F3 Euroseries Champion Ryan Briscoe and fellow countryman James Courtney, the new Japanese Formula 3 Champion. Both men already have F1 experience: Briscoe as a test driver for Toyota and Courtney as a tester for Jaguar Racing.

The entry will include three cars from Carlin Motorsport, featuring Alvaro Parente and Nico Rosberg and a third entry for India's Narain Karthikeyan. Hitech Racing will also be fielding three cars for Richard Antinucci, Nelson Piquet Jr and Andrew Thompson, while France's Signature team will run Fabio Carbone, Nicholas Lapierre and Cesar Campanico.

Menu Motorsport will be strong with cars for Rob Austin and Robert Doornbos, while Japanese F3 regular Paolo Montin should be a challenger as well in his Three Bond Racing Dallara-Nissan.

Manor Racing will have Formula 3 new boy Lewis Hamilton while Alan Docking will run Danny Watts.

There are drivers from 15 nations represented in this year's event, all wanting to be the top dog on the streets of Macau.